Chapter 5: Devilish Training

I was woken up early by my master, who began explaining the Eight Trigrams to me. After a lengthy introduction, I nodded along, only half-understanding.

My master said, “First, I’ll teach you the Eight Trigrams Formation. There are the Pre-Heaven and Post-Heaven Trigrams, the Inner and Outer Trigrams. The Eight Trigrams Formation is a basic martial technique that confuses the mind, typically used for escape. The one I set up is the Pre-Heaven Eight Trigrams, created by Fuxi.”

My master started by making me hold a horse stance. I thought to myself, how hard could that be? Back in the army, I could hold a horse stance for two hours straight. But I didn’t expect my master to have me do it with a heavy stone on my back, standing until noon under the blazing sun. I soon felt I couldn’t hold on.

But my master had ordered me not to rest until the sun had set. Only now did I truly understand what “devil training” meant; compared to this, my old army days were child’s play. Another two hours passed, and I finally collapsed, my legs buckling beneath me. My master, holding a cup of tea, rebuked me, “With this little determination, how can you be my disciple? Get up!”

Gritting my teeth and forcing myself through the exhaustion, I stood up again. I couldn’t let anyone look down on me. I had to become strong, stronger than anyone else! Life had taught me that only by enduring more pain than others could I stand firm and not be bullied. Sweat the size of beans streamed down my face, my legs trembled, but I didn’t give up. I remembered what Zhang Lei had said—perhaps he was right. Only by becoming strong could one survive in this world. At last, the sun set. I dropped the stone and collapsed on the ground, gasping for air. My master helped me into the house, letting me rest before dinner. Lying down, I felt as though every bone in my body was about to fall apart, my legs numb and unresponsive.

The next day was the same, except the stone was even heavier. Then the third day, the fourth day…

A month later, I could hold a horse stance for ten hours with a stone weighing a thousand pounds in my hands. My master said my fundamentals were now solid, and it was time to learn the Pre-Heaven Eight Trigrams. I couldn’t understand why all that horse stance was necessary—it didn’t seem to relate to the Eight Trigrams at all. Not until years later, when my master met his end, did I truly understand his painstaking intentions.

My master first had me learn the Eight Trigrams of the Palm. He drew a diagram and made me memorize it, explaining the essence of the Eight Trigrams in detail. Each day, he taught me basic techniques and methods for cultivating energy. Day after day, my true energy had now reached the third level—I could shatter a thousand-pound boulder with my bare hands. My master ordered me never to reveal my strength before others.

“Xiaofei, come quickly!” It was Zhang Lei’s voice. Over the past year, he often came to see me. He had become a disciple of the Lingyue Pavilion, and after a year’s training, had also achieved some skill.

“Xiaofei, have you heard? The Cangxi Empire is hunting an assassin, with a bounty of a hundred thousand gold coins!”

A hundred thousand gold coins—enough for an ordinary person to live half a lifetime. “How strong is this assassin? I heard from my master that there are many experts in the Cangxi Empire. How can one assassin be so troublesome?” I asked.

“I don’t know. Rumor is he’s only appeared recently. Twice he snuck into the imperial palace, attempting to assassinate the second prince, Cang Lang, but failed both times. The emperor has issued a warrant: a hundred thousand gold for his capture; fifty thousand for any useful clue,” Zhang Lei said, panting.

It was certainly tempting. “Does the assassin have any distinguishing features?”

Zhang Lei slapped his forehead. “Features? Oh, right! The warrant says he has a head of white hair and is just over twenty years old.”

To have such skill at just over twenty—he must be remarkable. As we walked, I said to Zhang Lei, “There’s nothing much to do these days. I’ll tell my master and we can go out for a bit. It’s been so long since I visited the town.”

“That’s great! Finally, we can go out and have some fun,” Zhang Lei replied excitedly.

My master agreed to let me go, but warned me not to stray far and to return before dark. So, the two of us, along with a tiger, set out for the town under the scorching sun. Watching the busy streets, I thought of my parents, so far away in another world. I wondered how they were doing now. I thought of Liu Tingting, and still couldn’t understand why she betrayed me. Was it really just for those red and green bills? Liu Tingting, just wait—one day, you’ll regret your choice! I wondered if I could ever return to my own time… The more I thought, the more suffocated I felt. Why did fate have to toy with me so?

“Xiaofei, what’s wrong?” Only when Zhang Lei spoke did I snap back to reality. There was no point dwelling on these things; the future could wait. I said, “Nothing. Zhang Lei, where’s your Xiaoqiang?”

“Oh, I was afraid it would scare people, so I didn’t bring it into town. Xiaofei, look—there’s a street performer! Let’s go check it out.”

Following Zhang Lei’s gaze, I saw a crowd gathered around a performer. In the middle of the circle, a man in his thirties was performing feats like “walking up a mountain of blades and descending into a vat of oil.” The so-called mountain of blades was a row of sharp knives set into a plank. The man walked across them unharmed. The crowd cheered. Next was the oil vat performance—a young man brought out a large cauldron filled with oil. Once it was boiling, the performer plunged his hand in as if it were a basin of cool water. The onlookers applauded. Then came sword swallowing. We watched for nearly an hour. At the end, the man clasped his fists and said, “Performing for a living, folks. If you have money, please support us; if not, your encouragement is enough.”

At that moment, a young woman with a tray approached. She looked so familiar. On closer inspection, she resembled Liu Tingting remarkably. I nearly cried out in shock, my heart pounding. As I stared, the sound of galloping hooves approached. “Official business! Clear the way!” the leader barked.

A gravely wounded man clutched his chest as he ran toward us. He had a head of white hair and was badly hurt. The officials were right on his heels, and it seemed he would soon be caught. Suddenly, a young man with a folding fan blocked his path. I didn’t see how he moved; the white-haired man was already on the ground. The youth wore a gray robe and carried a paper fan, looking exceptionally elegant. He clasped his fists and said, “I dared to stop this criminal. Please forgive me, sir.”

The lead official dismounted and asked, “What is your name?”

“My humble family name is Shi, given name Feng,” the gray-robed youth replied, bowing.

“Very good, Shi Feng. You have rendered meritorious service. I shall report this to the emperor and see you rewarded,” the official said.

“I dare not expect any reward. I only wish to serve you, sir, and ease the burdens of the state,” Shi Feng replied calmly.

“In that case, come with me. Men, bind this criminal and take him away!” The soldiers tied up the white-haired man.

By now, Zhang Lei could hold back no longer. “So many people ganging up on one—Xiaofei, should we step in?”

I signaled Zhang Lei not to act rashly. There was no need to offend the Cangxi Empire. But I knew Zhang Lei’s temperament well. After a year of training with no chance to show his skills, he was eager for action. In a flash, he knocked down a soldier with a knife-hand strike, followed by a sweeping kick and an over-the-shoulder throw—within moments, he had taken out five or six soldiers.

What shocked me was Zhang Lei’s martial prowess. In our previous sparring sessions, he’d never been this fierce. Had he been hiding his strength?

At this point, Shi Feng moved. In an instant, he appeared before Zhang Lei, and with a flick of his paper fan, left a deep gash on Zhang Lei’s chest. This clearly enraged Zhang Lei, who quickly sealed his acupoint with two fingers to stop the bleeding.

Cracks appeared in the flagstones beneath his feet as Zhang Lei advanced, each step leaving a new fracture. He punched at Shi Feng’s chest, but the youth dodged with ease. Another punch at his abdomen, again dodged. Shi Feng seemed to be toying with Zhang Lei, letting his every attack miss. I knew Zhang Lei would soon exhaust himself at this rate. The officials had surrounded them, as if watching a show. I calculated—it was time for me to act.

Moving behind the officials, I quickly parted the crowd and struck at Shi Feng with my palm. As I expected, he dodged, but I hadn’t intended to hurt him; it was a move my master taught me, the Eight Trigrams Palm.

Now, both the officials and Shi Feng were trapped inside the Eight Trigrams Formation. Without me to guide them, they wouldn’t find their way out any time soon. I hoisted the white-haired man over my shoulder, pushed Zhang Lei out of the formation, and together the two of us, with two fleeting shadows, sped out of the town.